NEWS RELEASE
Dec. 5, 2011
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ST. Paul District
MVP-PA-2011-206
Contacts:
Shannon Bauer: 651-290-5108, 612-840-9453, [email protected]
Patrick Moes: 651-290-5202, 651-366-7539, [email protected]
Upper Mississippi River navigation ends for the year
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Today officially marks the end of the navigation on the
Upper Mississippi River.
The MV Charlie G was the last commercial tow to pass through Lock and Dam 2,
near Hastings, Minn., Nov. 24, making it the last tow to leave St. Paul,
Minn.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, closed Lock and Dam 7,
near La Crosse, Wis., early this morning to begin winter renovation and
maintenance work, essentially shutting down the river as tows can no longer
go further north. Ice is quickly forming on the river, however, so navigation
would end soon regardless.
The Corps will dewater Lock and Dam 7 to perform major rehabilitative work,
which includes performing concrete and miter gate inspections. The gates will
be sandblasted and painted, and the bubbler system will be replaced with a
stainless steel system.
Lock and Dam 7 is scheduled to reopen March 12, and, weather permitting, tows
will be able to make it north to St. Paul.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, serves the American
public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood damage
reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster
response. It contributes around $175 million to the five-state district
economy. The 700 employees work at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest
states. For more information, see http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil.
-30-
Web site: http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/usace.saintpaul
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usace-stpaul/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/usacemvppao’
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
make this low water for them though.
